Chapter 70

As the dance came to an end and Iris and Estelle returned to their seats, their expressions were somewhat peculiar.

Although they felt good after dancing for the first time in a while, they couldn’t quite understand why people kept saying they suited each other so well.

If I had danced with Sir Theo… they would have said I matched well with him instead.

Estelle couldn’t help but feel disappointed.

She had originally intended to ask Theo for a dance, and if she had danced with him, she was sure people would have commented on how well they matched.

“S-Sir Theo… If I lead, would you consider dancing with me just once…?”

Wanting to hear those words so badly, Estelle once again asked Theo for a dance.

“Ah, I’m really sorry. I’m seriously, seriously terrible at dancing…”

“…I see.”

Having been rejected twice, she couldn’t bring herself to ask again.

Besides, it wasn’t as if he didn’t want to dance with her: he simply couldn’t dance at all. She couldn’t just drag him onto the floor against his will.

Still… I really don’t want to attract any more attention.

Seeing Estelle looking so dejected naturally made Theo feel guilty, but that didn’t mean he could dance with her.

It was true that he was a terrible dancer, but even if that weren’t the case… dancing with Estelle?

There was no doubt it would draw everyone’s attention.

And suppose he somehow managed to dance with Estelle. That would inevitably lead to him dancing with Iris as well, and before long, the forgotten scandal would be reignited.

What’s the point of having a scandal with me?

If anyone should have a scandal, it should be those two.

With that thought, Theo forced a smile and tried to brush off Estelle’s disappointment.

But… do scandals even happen between two women?

In this world, same-gender relationships were generally understood to be purely friendships.

That didn’t mean there were no same-sex couples or that there was strong prejudice against them, though.

Unlike the world Theo had lived in, the game’s setting had no bias against such relationships.

Even when Iris and Estelle started dating in the game, they didn’t have to hide their relationship to avoid prejudice or anything like that.

Considering how openly affectionate they were in the game, it was only natural to conclude that this world held no such biases.

But it’s still a bit ambiguous. It’s true that people congratulated Estelle and Iris on their relationship and that many attended their wedding. But at the same time, there weren’t really any other same-sex couples, were there?

Theo suddenly wondered if people had simply accepted it because the couple in question held high status.

I don’t know. I’ll have to ask Marty about it later.

Since Marty always seemed to have a broad understanding of the world’s affairs, Theo figured he might also be knowledgeable about this topic.

The internet… probably won’t have any useful information.

Given how online searches often brought up all sorts of mixed results, finding exactly what he wanted would likely be difficult. Instead of bothering to check his phone, he decided to go straight to Marty.

“You two stay here for a bit. There’s someone I need to meet.”

Since Marty was also a student at the academy, he was bound to be here.

If I just find the most popular group in the room, that’s probably where Marty will be.

Estelle and Iris looked surprised at Theo’s sudden departure, but before they could stop him, he had already dashed off somewhere, leaving them with no choice but to watch him go.

“The empire’s cuisine really is delicious.”

In the end, Estelle gave up on following Theo and instead attempted to start a conversation with Iris.

“Yes, if nothing else, the food is certainly excellent.”

The conversation never went beyond surface level and failed to flow deeply.

“I have something serious to talk about, but this isn’t the best place for it. How about we set a time to meet later, Iris?”

When Estelle spoke, Iris silently gazed at her for a moment before nodding her head.

“Yes, let’s do that. There are some things I’d like to talk about as well.”

Just a slight turn of the head would reveal a room full of students eagerly enjoying the party.

Yet, for some reason, only a somewhat cold atmosphere lingered between Estelle and Iris.

“Oh my, aren’t the two of them close friends?”

“Rather than the two of them being close… it feels more like they’re only friendly because of that commoner, Theo.”

“Then, could it be that both of them have feelings for this Theo?”

Watching the two only deepened the suspicions surrounding their relationship with Theo.

After all, whenever they were with him, they always seemed cheerful and happy.

“Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve seen the two of them talking much on their own.”

“I’m really curious. Just what is it about that commoner that’s so charming that neither of them can seem to break free from him?”

“Hush. Didn’t that noblewoman who tried to interfere last time end up expelled in the end?”

In reality, Lina hadn’t been expelled; she had voluntarily withdrawn from the academy.

But as rumors tend to do, the story had grown more exaggerated, to the point where people believed that anyone who approached Theo would be expelled by either Iris or Estelle.

And with no one to set the record straight, the rumors were only about to escalate further. Until suddenly…

“Ladies. It’s fine to enjoy your conversation, but Lina von Maria essentially brought about her own downfall.”

A voice interrupted, seemingly trying to correct the rumors.

“Oh my, and what exactly do you mean by that?”

“And who might you be?”

Everyone showed interest in the conversation, but they couldn’t help but be just as curious about the man who had brought it up.

Since everyone was dressed in the outfits provided by the imperial family, it was impossible to tell who was a noble and who was a commoner, making it all the more confusing.

He speaks far too elegantly to be a commoner.

The only real way to distinguish people was whether they spoke in the noble dialect or not.

Of course, some were actually disappointed to find out he wasn’t a commoner.

He’s handsome too… I really wanted to experience dating a decent commoner at least once.

For the noble ladies at the academy, who were free to pursue romance, it was a missed opportunity.

“Ah, my name is Marty. I’m just an ordinary commoner.”

Marty introduced himself as a commoner with a bright, carefree smile.

“Oh my, but the way you speak is far too refined for a commoner, isn’t it?”

“Ah, well, my mother was a noble in the past, so I tend to slip into noble speech from time to time.”

With that simple explanation, Marty brushed off any further questions.

“So, who here wants to hear about Theo, the Saintess, the Crown Princess, and Lina von Maria?”

The crowd erupted into murmurs and quickly gathered around him.

It was too juicy of a topic to ignore.

***

I had even left Estelle and Iris behind for a moment to go looking for Marty—

“So basically, that woman threw an absolute fit trying to steal Theo’s position…!”

I had no idea why that guy was standing in the middle of a crowd, telling stories about Lina von Maria.

Time had passed, and the whole ordeal with Lina had finally begun to settle.

And yet, here he was, pouring oil onto a dying fire.

I debated whether to go over and say something but ultimately decided against it.

With so many people gathered around, if I got involved with Marty now, the attention would inevitably shift to me as well.

Haah. I’ll just talk to him later at the dorm.

I decided to satisfy my curiosity later and eventually returned to where the other two were, having gained nothing in the end.

“Sir Theo! Did you get to meet the person you were looking for?”

“Ah, Estelle. No, unfortunately not. But it’s fine; I can always talk to him later when we’re back.”

Since we shared the same room, there was no need to go out of my way to find him.

“That’s a relief. If you ever have trouble finding someone, please let me know. I’d be happy to help.”

“It’s alright, Iris. He’s someone I’ll inevitably run into once we return.”

I gently declined Iris’s offer, seeing as she was willing to personally track him down for me.

Besides, even if I spoke with him now… It wouldn’t be the best conversation to have in front of these two.

Either way, I had no intention of drawing any more attention to myself.

“Shall we start heading back?”

Just as I was thinking that, Iris spoke up.

“But wasn’t the banquet supposed to continue until tomorrow?”

So, as far as I knew, the imperial family had even arranged accommodations within the palace.

“We can use teleportation magic anyway, so I don’t really see the need to stay here.”

“Why not? Isn’t this place better than the dorms?”

Iris suggested teleporting back to the dormitory, but Estelle seemed to disagree.

“Honestly, the dorm beds are awful. Right, Sir Theo?”

“Hmm… I actually think the dorm beds are perfectly fine.”

They were far better than the ones I had at home, so I had never once thought they were bad.

“Ah! Seriously? Then I’ll buy you a proper bed next time. A really good one!”

“Ah, no need for that.”

“I do need to! How can you think those beds are fine?! Anyway! The imperial palace beds are meant for high-ranking guests, so they must be incredible. Let’s just stay in the rooms they prepared for us tonight!”

Iris clearly wanted to return, while Estelle preferred to stay here for the night.

I found myself caught in the middle, unsure of what to do.